Court hasn’t found Svaboda newspaper extremist

• 15.12.2008, 10:51

On December 12 the court of Iuye district considered the case of recognizing August issue of Svaboda unregistered newspaper as extremist newspaper.

As the human rights centre “Viasna” was told by lawyer Paval Sapelka, who represented interests of the newspaper, the head of the KGB directorate of Hrodna region Ihar Syarheenka was denied the matter as there had been no extremist publications found in the newspaper.

As we have informed, on September 9 the court of Iuye district found August issue of the unregistered newspaper “Svaboda” (No 127 of 14-27.18.2008) an extremist one and decided to destroy 5,000 copies of the newspaper. The civil case was brought up basing on an application signed by the head of the KGB directorate of Hrodna district Ihar Syarheenka on September 4. The KGB directorate found the article “War in Georgia” suspicious.

On November 5 Hrodna regional court considered the cassational appeal against the ruling of the court of Iuye district. Judge Alyaksandr Sitsko decided to send the materials of the case for reconsideration in the court of Iuye district.